Deciding to major in Sports Management has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have learned so much and have met so many amazing people through my major. It hasn’t all been easy though, and majoring in Sports Management can be a little intimidating. You might not know exactly what you want to do with your degree, or you’re constantly being told how competitive the sports industry is. If you are already in this field of study or are considering it, read some Tips from a Sports Management Major to help you make the most of your major while you’re in school.
Your sports management professors are some of the best people in the business. They often have many connections within the sports industry. Most professors are there to help their students and will put you in contact with those connections. This could help lead to an internship or just someone else to know within the industry. Your professors also give great advice, especially related to industry topics or questions. Pick their brains about different segments within sports business and learn what might be the best job for you. Bounce ideas off of them when it comes to internships or graduate school. Plus it doesn’t hurt to have someone who will write you a genuine letter of recommendation.
Get involved with something sports related. It doesn’t matter if you’re volunteering with athletics on campus, coaching a youth recreation league, or managing a team at your school; the important thing is that you’re involved with something. Volunteering with different aspects of the sports industry gives you invaluable hands-on work. I learned more with managing the volleyball team at St. John’s than I did in any of my classes. It put what I learned in my classes into perspective and gave me real life examples to apply my coursework, too. Getting involved will also introduce you to many people within the sports industry and will supply you with a lot of different connections. It also may give you an idea of what kind of work you want to do within the sports industry, such as marketing, game day and facility operations, or even coaching.
Go to a game or match that’s close by. It doesn’t matter if it’s a local high school football game, your college’s basketball game, or a pro baseball game, you can learn a lot from a live sporting event’s environment. This will give you a chance to see what the people in the sports industry actually do on game days. It will also allow you to see what you’ve learned in class as applied to real life situations such as different in-game marketing promotions and sponsorships, or game day operations and arena management. Going to games will give you another opportunity to see what part of the sports industry you might want to work in because they will give you firsthand experiences of what these people’s jobs consist of on game days. Finally, you never know who you’ll meet at a game, and it could be a great networking opportunity.
Goodbye, summer, you really flew by! Hello, fall! It's time to break out the football apparel from your closet, start planning…
Move over summer, it's officially the most wonderful time of the year! Get ready to guzzle down some hot cocoa,…
Where did the summer go!? The smell of apple crisp and pumpkin carving is right around the corner! Here are…
Apps are incredibly useful and I don't know how I'd get through all of my classes without them. From taking…
If you want to treat your dad to something nice during the holidays, don't worry, it doesn't necessarily have to…
With over around 40 or so on-campus housing options at Ohio State, I was able to experience life in Smith-Steeb…
